Modern Inquiries into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations
Join us in Cambridge for a landmark two-day conference marking 250 years since the publication of Adam Smith's The Wealth of Nations (1776).
Convened by Professor Gareth Austin (Cambridge), Dr Alex Trew (Glasgow) and Dr Toke Aidt (Cambridge), this conference brings together leading scholars from across the UK and beyond to reflect on the history and theory of long-term economic growth and development. The event serves as a prefatory gathering ahead of the University of Glasgow's major commemorative conference in October 2026, which will launch an accompanying volume published by Cambridge University Press.
Contributors to the Glasgow volume will present and discuss their chapters alongside additional presenters from Cambridge and other institutions. Topics span comparative economic history, the role of religion, gender and labour, finance, urbanisation, and environmental economics.
- Day 1 & Day 2 Morning: Keynes Hall, King's College
- Day 2 Afternoon (Public Forum): Room LG19, Sidgwick Site, University of Cambridge
Public Forum: The Next 25/250 Years
The conference culminates in a free public forum on the afternoon of Friday 6 March, featuring a distinguished panel discussing the prospects for global prosperity and development over the coming decades—and centuries. This event is open to all and will be held at the Sidgwick Site.
Chair: Gillian Tett (Provost, King's College Cambridge)
Panellists: Sir Tim Besley (LSE), Matthew Agarwala (Sussex), Jane Humphries (Oxford) A forward-looking discussion on the prospects for global prosperity and development.
Registration: Free to attend. Please register HERE to secure your place.
Enquiries: Professor Gareth Austin – gma31@cam.ac.uk
Supported by: King's College, Cambridge and the Ellen McArthur Trust Fund